NBN Co today announced that around 13,000 new homes in Sydney’s south-west can look forward to nbn’s fastest residential speeds following a multi-million-dollar partnership between Walker Corporation and NBN Co.

nbn has been chosen to deliver the large-scale fibre rollout for Walker’s new residential community development in Appin, which will give each new home and business access to a full fibre connection and deliver a significant productivity, social and economic boost for the Macarthur region.

Appin community residents will be able to run concurrent internet-connected devices such as smart phones and televisions, upload and download files fast, experience reliable, high-definition streaming and quick game downloads^{1, 2}. Today, the average household across Australia uses 22 internet-connected devices, and this is expected to grow to 40 by the end of the decade.

Fast, reliable broadband lays the foundation for more liveable communities because it provides better opportunities for residents to work from home, or engage in hybrid working, helping to avoid the requirement to commute into Parramatta, Liverpool or the Sydney CBD on a daily basis².

Through nbn’s Smart Places, nbn also plans to take fibre beyond just the home by partnering with retail service providers to enable a connected community where ambient Wi-Fi is available in public areas such as community centres and adventure playgrounds. The significant opportunities presented by nbn’s Smart Places product, underpinned by full fibre connectivity, could mean community members receive live updates regarding community events, spikes in pollen levels, bushfire emergency information and even wildlife alerts.

nbn is currently engaged in industry consultation on a proposal to provide five times faster download speeds on its increasingly popular nbn Home Fast product provided over Fibre to the Premises (FTTP). This would see wholesale download speeds accelerate from the current wholesale speed of 100/20 Mbps to 500/50 Mbps^{1, 2}.

Andrew Walsh, Executive General Manager New Developments at NBN Co, said:

“Customers expect a fast and reliable internet connection that’s aligned to their growing data needs and speed requirements. By partnering with Walker, we are excited to build the foundation to enable the anticipated 40,000 residents of Appin communities with a lightning-fast, high-capacity and low-latency broadband that’s underpinned by a full fibre connection.

“nbn will roll out 17 kilometres of new fibre throughout the Appin community to connect 13,000 premises, which will enable every new home and community facility to connect to the fastest speeds available on the nbn^® network.

“This will deliver economic, social and productivity benefits to the 40,000 people that will call the new community home. Business owners will also enjoy peace of mind, knowing they can effectively run their operations, especially important for online businesses and for anyone using data-heavy cloud-based applications and, increasingly, generative AI applications.

“Residents and businesses operating in the new community will be able to enjoy a consistent online experience, particularly when there’s multiple internet-connected devices in use at the same time, such as family members each streaming their own favourite entertainment content in 4K high-definition, while another member of the family enjoys online gaming where high-speed, low-latency internet can be the difference between virtual life and death².

“Property developers like Walker continue to choose nbn to enable the provision to new Australian communities of fast, reliable and secure broadband². That’s because the technology we provide is future-ready – it’s essential infrastructure that anticipates where Australians’ internet speed and data needs will be in the decades to come. Savvy buyers and renters are increasingly aware of this, and they are preferring to lay down roots in new communities powered by the nbn full fibre network.”

David Gallant, Walker Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said:

“We want the very best for families moving into our new communities and that’s why we have teamed up with the best in the business to deliver this outstanding full fibre technology.

"It will also connect our adjoining business park to the fastest broadband speeds which will bring thousands of professional jobs for residents to live and work locally.”